Michael Ferris
Question:20 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Finance if he has communicated with the European Commission or the ECB since the publication of his Budget Statement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28042/98]
Written Answers - Ministerial Communications.
I accompanied the Taoiseach to the European Council in Vienna on 12 and 13 December, which the European Commission and the European Central Bank also attended. In addition, my Department communicates with the European Commission regularly, both formally and informally, in respect of a wide range of matters. However, I assume that the Deputy is specifically referring in his question to communications in relation to the budget, In that respect, following the presentation of the budget for 1999 on 2 December 1998, I submitted Ireland's Stability Programme for 1999 to 2001, to the Council of Ministers and to the European Commission on 3 December, in accordance with Council Regulation No 1466/97 of 7 July 1997.
The Stability Programme was submitted in accordance with the Council's 1 May declaration, in which Ministers undertook to submit national stability or convergence programmes at the latest by the end of 1998.
It is my understanding that the Irish Stability Programme will be considered by ECOFIN at its meeting of 18 January 1998.
Regarding the European Central Bank, it has not been assigned any formal role in the mechanisms for multilateral surveillance under the Stability and Growth Pact, and therefore the question of submitting the Stability Programme to the ECB, in that context does not arise.